


Solace in the stars

by qwuinofswag



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: AU, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, I think?, Idk where it's going for the moment, Keith centric, M/M, Magic, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Y'all this is very
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2018-11-24
Packaged: 2019-08-28 21:19:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16730817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/qwuinofswag/pseuds/qwuinofswag
Summary: Keith knew nothing better than to gaze at the stars and read his books.On a crushingly heated day, he meets someone who changes what he  knew his entire life: loneliness. Someone unreal to him, yet so real down to every particle that makes him deny such occurrence altogether.





	Solace in the stars

Prologue

 

Nothing went beyond human imagination; nothing was more powerful than what the human mind could grasp within its unlimited and overwhelming realms. Boundaries are something relative in this case, only limited to one’s own beliefs.

Keith was very much aware of that since he would often wander galaxies away with the sole use of his mind. He had to do that, or simply turn to short lived escapades in the burned out desert. He would run carefree during night-time when it was the best moment to force his mind into enveloping the unreal and the real in a single substantial mental projection. He would admire the stars, an escapism in his life, he would stargaze until dawn, until he had to come back to reality and see how much of a crap his life was, how sickness would envelop down to every pit of his being, how all the bad things would creep from spine to core. Those were the moments when he wished to give everything up; vanish in the sands of apparent desolation.

But he couldn’t.

He wouldn’t find an answer to this inner torment, the sole constancy in his life (apart from loneliness). Was there a reason stopping him from simply fading away from existence? An existence peculiarly futile and unnecessary neither to himself, nor to anyone else… especially when it came to others. He would often wonder about that, a thought that vanished as soon as he realized he had tasks to accomplish in order to survive to the minimum.

Survival was a wild concept for many, but for Keith, that was a way to occupy his daily endeavors, trying to farther himself from any sort of anguish; another would be isolating himself with a book – prohibited if possible – in his hands.

Reading and stargazing comprised as his only solaces in life. He was poor to an unbelievable degree, lonely – he would deny himself the admittance of such fact, because, deep down he was utterly aware that certifying it would crush his (already) grieving heart.

He had no family left, with a mother of no whereabouts or connaissance since birth and a father who sacrificed himself more than a decade ago for the sake of a stranger… he knew nothing better than solitude and the embrace of old, dusty books and the night sky. It was enough for him. The words of unshaped feelings, his many thoughts on impossible and unimaginable worlds had the power to take away his suffering and few reminiscences of his past.

In terms of friends, well, it was something in the means of possibility, anyone would say so, he had experienced that shouted into his face as well (but where also insults and deprecating expressions would entail from the same individuals). But it wasn’t true for him, nothing about his own being made it even possible for maintaining short-spanning acquaintances, they would always leave him to his own demons, so he could never have “friendship” either.

No family or friends, nor riches or talents… but at least he had books. He was thankful for that. He didn’t need anything else in his life, especially other human that would one day surely disappear and leave his heart more broken than it already was. He couldn’t afford any more stabbings; his soul had been damaged too much already to deal with more than the dose of grief his mind would more often than not put him through.

* * *

 

As he was walking down the loud encounters of many a stranger, his head was cloak covered, as always focused on his footing (so he could eye contact with no human soul – a particularity of his usual behavior: weird, loathsome and depriving of social contact). He came here with “business”, because otherwise he could never step foot in such a noisy place, he couldn’t stand it more than half a day and usually the mornings were the noisiest, now it was plain afternoon. Obliterating heat would overwhelm any living being, but the chatter was still overwhelming the village with full force, so much his ears couldn’t stand a note.

Keith was trying to avoid bumping or even touching others, only strangers to him, but he hardly succeeded, he was trying his best, but still could not foresee hitting his head in what would seem a shoulder (enough muscular to hurt). He almost touched the dirty and dusty floor –as much as self-deprecation allowed, he would never hit the floor- but managed to safely tip toe a landing away from the obstacle who caused this diversion of route.

\- “What do you think you’re doing?!” Keith, unthinkingly lashed out – an exception of his usual quiet demeanor.

\- “Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you! “

The stranger responded with what could seem to Keith’s ears, a suave tone of voice, unusual to the place and era of rushed and enraged individuals, he included, because, you see… A lonely and isolated upbringing such as Keith’s had often brought despair in the rawest forms of anger and violence from the years lacking in either affection or external comfort.

He wasn’t used to such voices though, almost unreal, an idealization seemingly projecting his inner wishes, hidden to the deepest pits of his mind, a realm enveloped by the highest of walls. Yet, a familiar one, almost hitting close to home, one lost many years ago when his only family member decided to abandon him to the flames of a dragon.

He didn’t say anything, how could he answer when his tormenting mind awakened from its day-rest and planned on not leaving his momentary sanity for one single minute. He decided to simply go on towards his destination, but while gathering himself to collect his dropped books, the stranger unabashedly beat him to his mental task by adding “Let me help you at least, I really didn’t mean it”.

Such a sweet soft spoken individual professing his regret for something that was Keith’s fault made him feel so undeserving, because it was his lack of attention that caused this unnecessary interaction. He did not know the stranger at all, but could muster from the grace he gathered Keith’s books with, that such delicate behavior was no fakery at all, it was integrated in his whole being.

Keith would take no other truth since proof beheld in front of his observing eyes. Eyes that did nothing but notice details and peculiarities left unshared since his early years of existence.

He should at least be grateful for such unneeded gesture, for a thing he caused, he owed it to this stranger.

\- “Thank you.”

Keith didn’t mean for his voice to come out raspy, surely breaking if he had added something else. He also didn’t mean to make any sort of eye contact with the stranger, thus confirming his earlier assertions personality wise about him.

He was fascinating to unhuman degree, out of what you would usually encounter in a semi-isolated village. Grey light-holding eyes were the first -and quite the only thing Keith noticed, infinitely enthralling that he realized too late he dared staring too much, just like having the unnerving intention of looking at the sun at noon and being blinded by something too pure and warm.

Realizing his blatant mistake, he immediately looked at the books the stranger had picked up and stretched his hands forward. There was no need for any utterance, for he was immediately understood and hands filled with the fallen books. He straightened his back and went on his initial way, with no second thoughts left anymore – down-grading be damned, he will have plenty of time when he gets back to the shack.

\- “Hey! Wait” unexpectedly so, the stranger uttered –with the voice closer to wonder and mixed panic than he’d like to admit. “What’s your name, I don’t see many interested in books nowadays and you seem to have some interesting titles there too!” he said as he pointed a particular book, one of Keith’s fixated rereads.

\- “I’m uh… Keith.” He couldn’t waste his time on a shallow encounter; he wasn’t ready for something unnecessary, not now, nor ever. And this? This was a totally useless short-lived conversation that wouldn’t bring him any future solace. He didn’t add anything else.

\- “I’m Shiro, it’s really nice to meet you! –what was nice about him, Keith’s mind inquired- from the titles you are carrying, I can guess you’re heading for the local library, right? They’re usually found there.” These were more words than Keith would debit in a single day.

\- “Uh, yeah.” He was at a loss, what could he say back that wouldn’t make him look like a retard, careless fool?

\- “I can accompany you if you don’t mind! Since I caused your lateness to a possible appointment! I can also help you with the carrying.”

\- “No…I – he was really at a loss and, since his brain was dealing with too much right now, he couldn’t but agree in the end- Alright, but I will carry them… they’re just 6 books.” Looking away from the stranger, nothing was said anymore for the rest of the walk.

 

They strolled on the way to the library, Keith’s source of solace, one that seemed to be slowly invaded by something stranger to his soul, a shadowy entity he couldn’t shape right at that moment and he wouldn’t until later on when he would have to confront many a matter of past, present and future events.

**Author's Note:**

> It's the first time I'm actually writing a fanfic, especially with Sheith.  
> I love VLD so very much, it's beyond belief haha and since the last season is coming soon, I often find myself crying. 
> 
> Any comments/kudos are welcomed :)
> 
> Also, since English is not my native language, please do let me know if you find any mistakes. Thank you!


End file.
